Support
is necessary as this is part of what makes health and social care settings
successful. Good support services are one of the determining factors for
individuals to choose the right health and support services. This assures them
that the treatment is both caring and beneficial. Take people with learning
disabilities for instance. As individuals, we have choices that we can make
independently. People with learning disabilities may have that choice taken
away from them. Hence support services are needed to ensure that these people
get the best possible care.

Some
governments are actively pursuing the issue of support for the continued well
being of its citizens. For instance, in Wales, services and support people are
entitled to include home care help with things like cleaning and shopping, disability equipment and
adaptations to your home, day centers to give you or the person who cares for
you a break, day care for your child if either you or they are disabled and care
homes.

Social
support is another type of support which is related to the person’s health. “The
most elemental factor by which this effect of socialization works is a basic and
sometimes overlooked reason for the success of psychotherapy. Sometimes just
knowing that there is someone to talk to and confide in can help people
overcomes their problems just as much as any treatment. Those with a greater
social support system, whether family or friends, have a greater chance of
resolving problems with which they are faced. The process of coping can be
improved simply because someone is there to talk with about problems, give
people unconditional love and support or possible providing a resolution. For
individuals with debilitating or life-threatening conditions such as cancer or
HIV/AIDS, a strong social network can aid in recovery and improve quality of
life. Whether they are being cared for on an inpatient or an outpatient basis,
if patients are happy with their current social relationships, such as with
spouses, friends, and family, this can aid in their prognosis. Having strong
social systems can give patients a more positive state of mind when it comes to
their affliction. With support, a patient is more able to accept and can come to
terms with the illness. This in turn allows a patient to make positive strides
in treatment (Gore-Felton et al., 2002). Even when dealing in mental health, a
strong social system can aid in the road to recovery. In victims of trauma,
whether sexually based assault such as rape or nonsexually based assault such as
combat experience, strong social support will aid in their recovery (Durand,
Knudson, Martin, Rosen, & Stretch, 2000). (Social Support: How friends and
family can save your life. Gormon, Colin M. Rochester Inst. Technology.
http://www.personalityresearch.org/papers/clark.html,
retrieved 14 April, 2011.)”

Organizations
such as the World Health Organization (WHO) was established as the directing and
coordinating authority for international health matters and public health. One
of the WHO’s constitutional functions is to provide objective and reliable
information and advice in the field of human health, a responsibility that it
fulfills in part through its publications programmes. Through its publications,
WHO seeks to support national health strategies and address the most pressing
public health concerns. (Social detriments of health. The solid facts.
https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.euro.who.int%2F__data%2Fassets%2Fpdf_file%2F0005%2F98438%2Fe81384.pdf,
retrieved 14 April, 2011. 5)” The function of the WHO is to help the public
policy to shape the social environment in ways conducive to better health. From
their research and studies, WHO cover the need for support in the areas of
poverty, drugs, working conditions, unemployment, social support, good food, and
transport policy. The goal is to improve health and well-being and to reduce a
range of other social problems that flourish alongside ill health and which are
rooted in some of the same socioeconomic processes.